


Oblivious Is Our Collective Middle Name

by normalcatbehaviour



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Matchmaking, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 10:26:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2266269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/normalcatbehaviour/pseuds/normalcatbehaviour
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since Erica had pointed out that Derek and Stiles had seemed <i>different</i> after Stiles had turned 18, it had become very obvious to the pack that their friendship had become something else. Something more. What none of them can understand was why neither Derek nor Stiles <i>do anything about it</i>.</p>
<p>“They can’t possibly <i>both be this oblivious</i>.”</p>
<p>Scott wants to agree with Isaac, he really does, but all signs point to them both absolutely being that oblivious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oblivious Is Our Collective Middle Name

**Author's Note:**

> A few things!
> 
> 1) I’m not entirely sure what universe I’ve set this in. I guess you can feel free to view this as canon divergence or straight up AU . Very few canonical events are mentioned in any detail and nobody’s dead (although Peter is mysteriously absent because I still have issues with him).
> 
> 2) I have no idea when Stiles’ birthday is or when American colleges begin their school year (or even how old you generally are when you start? I think it’s 18 but the American school system confuses me no end so I could be wrong). For the sake of this, the order of things is: Stiles turns 18 -> summer holidays ->Stiles begins college. I apologise if that’s completely wrong and makes things feel wonky to anyone.
> 
> As usual, not beta’d. Please feel free to let me know if you spot any mistakes I’ve missed. P.S. one day I’ll write something rated above G for more than just language...but today is not that day.

Ever since Erica had pointed out that Derek and Stiles had seemed _different_ after Stiles had turned 18, it had become very obvious to the pack that their friendship had become something else. Something more. What none of them can understand was why neither Derek nor Stiles _do anything about it_.

“They can’t possibly _both_ be this oblivious.” 

Scott wants to agree with Isaac, he really does, but all signs point to them both absolutely being that oblivious. 

-

Scott could maybe understand them not getting it, at the beginning. Stiles’ friendship with Scott wasn’t exactly normal levels of co-dependence, after all, and going from that to having friends who were also pack – maybe his idea of normal friendship was skewed? As for Derek, he supposes he has the excuse of being raised in a pack, where the idea of personal space and any semblance of privacy seemed to be pretty nonexistent. Maybe this is how friendships always are for born wolves, what does Scott know? 

So ok, at first, he maybe lets it go. Maybe even finds it kind of funny that they’ll act so couple-y and seemingly have no idea they’re doing it. 

It gets a little less understandable as time goes on.

Scott watches them dance around each other that summer and considers stepping in, but in the end, decides it not his business. Trust them to figure things out in the own time.  
-

When Stiles leaves for college, apparently neither of them had think anything of the fact that Stiles spends most of his free time on Skype either talking to or talking about Derek, or the fact that maybe Derek going to visit Stiles at least every other weekend is probably over the line of friendship. 

It becomes less funny to Scott, and a little more...sad. They work so well together, he knows they’d be a good couple – they basically are already – but it’s not his place to get involved, even if the level of pining is getting a pretty unbearable to watch.

-

When Stiles comes back for Christmas break his first year of college and spends more time at Derek’s loft than his own home, Scott starts to wonder how it was actually possible that neither of them had noticed how differently the act around each other than any of the rest of the pack. They must realise whatever they have is more than friendship, it’s be impossible not to.

“They both know they like each other,” Lydia tells him when he voices his thoughts. “It’s just that neither of them believe the other feels the same. And they don’t think anything of the fact they act that way because they’re so used to it. Maybe they just need a little push.”

-

Erica’s idea of a little push is apparently inviting “the pack” out for dinner, waiting for Derek and Stiles to get settled, and then casually mention that the rest of the pack can’t make and _oh would you look at that, Boyd needs me to help with something. I guess you guys are on your own._

“Subtle, Erica,” Scott says when she comes to him to complain about all the effort she went to and nothing even happening.

“They don’t need subtle. Subtle clearly doesn’t work with these assclowns,” Erica growls. “They need sledgehammer to the face levels of not subtle, McCall.”

“Please don’t hit anyone with a sledgehammer!” Scott shouts as Erica skulks away, muttering about how _dinner was clearly the wrong setting but a cinema might work. Or a carnival. Fucking Disneyland if that’s what it takes, so help me God_. Scott thinks he even hears the words ‘fake stakeout to find a witch’. 

He doesn’t know how this became his life.

-

Over the next year, Erica schemes. Scott thinks about telling her to stay out of it but contrary to popular belief he doesn’t actually have a death wish. 

He watches her plan dates for them every time Stiles is home from college. Then he watches her get more and more frustrated with the both of them when nothing seems to change. 

Leaving them alone at the cinema doesn’t work. Erica fumes.

Leaving them at a carnival alone doesn’t work. Erica seriously considers locking them in a room and not letting them out until they promise to at least _try_ to cooperate with her matchmaking attempts.

Sending them on a fake stakeout to find a witch somehow becomes a real stakeout to find a witch when Stiles manages to literally bump into one while he’s buying coffee and accidentally getting himself cursed.

Needless to say it doesn’t work, and as soon as Stiles has found the witch again and had her un-curse him (and made plans with her to hang out, because of course Stiles makes friends with the witch who wasn’t even supposed to exist), Erica admits defeat.

(If she tries again, she never tells Scott about it, but he finds it hard to believe that she’d given up that easily. There’s pretty much no doubt in his mind that the fake stakeout was the tip of the Erica’s Secret Dates iceberg.)

-

After years of them getting nowhere, Scott resigns himself to the fact that it might just never happen.

Which is why he really doesn’t want to get his hopes up when, a couple of weeks after Stiles finally graduates and is back home for good, he gets a text from Stiles that says _Pack meeting: The loft @ 6. Me + Derek have news so all of your butts better be here._

It turns out that not wanting to get his hopes up and managing not to are apparently very different things.

He doesn’t know how much longer he can keep control his urge to shake them both and scream “will you two just date already?!” in their faces, not now that they’re both living in Beacon Hills again.

When Scott gets to Derek’s – last, because Scott’s never been great at time management without Stiles there to remind him he has places to be – Erica, Boyd and Allison are already sprawled across the couch with Isaac lying across their laps, Jackson’s ignoring everyone and eating Doritos, sitting on the floor by Lydia’s feet, who’s taken the chair that definitely wasn’t there last time Scott had been in the loft. He’s actually pretty sure he’s seen that chair at the Stilinski’s before. Huh.

“Ok, you’re all here. Scott will you sit down already.” Scott’s brought out of his pondering by Stiles’ voice. He quickly perches on the arm of the couch next to Allison and nods at Stiles to carry on. “So, announcement time.”

Stiles is practically bouncing with excitement, and Scott isn’t sure, but he’s almost certain that the look on Derek’s face right now could be classed as unbridled _joy_. By which he of course means that his eyebrows look slightly less like their plotting murder than normal. 

Scott has spent far too many hours listening to Stiles explain the art of Derek Reading: Eyebrow Edition than he’s comfortable with – he honestly never needed to know that much about anyone’s face – but he supposes it’s left him with a certain skill. 

He knows those eyebrows definitely mean excitement and happiness that Scott wasn’t sure Derek was capable of.

_Oh god_ , Scott thinks, _it’s really happening._ He feels his own grin start to form as Stiles looks to Derek, waits for him to nod and then opens his mouth to continue.

“So,” he starts, “We’ve done some talking, and now that I’m back we thought it was pretty perfect timing...” 

“Get on with it, Stilinski, we haven’t got all day,” Erica says, earning an elbow in the side from Boyd.

“Ok, ok,” Stiles laughs. He pauses to grab Derek’s hand, and then it just seems to burst out of him. “We’re getting married!” 

Wait– _what_?

“What?” Scott’s voice is high enough that he’ll be embarrassed about it later, when he’s got over the fact that he’s almost positive his best friend just told them he’s getting _married_. 

He’s confused. He looks around and sure enough, from the looks of it, the rest of the pack are too. Derek and Stiles look confused at everyone else’s confusion, and Scott’s head is starting to hurt. 

“We’re...getting married?” Stiles repeats, starting to look a little sad at the lack of enthusiasm. “To each other. As in a wedding. There’ll be one. With a cake and dancing and embarrassing speeches. And, you know, us becoming husbands. I guess that’s kind of an important part.”

“So...you’re doing this for the party aspect?” Scott tries.

“What? No, that was just a joke because you all look like we just told you we’re moving to _mars_. I thought a little humour might be appreciated.” 

Stiles looks pleadingly at Derek for help but Derek just holds up his hands as if to say _He’s your friend, you deal with him_. 

Stiles raises an eyebrow back, _But it’s your pack, you deal with them!_

They stare at each other in silence for a minute and Scott assumes Derek comes out on top of whatever conversation they just had, because Stiles turns back to the pack and shakes his head. 

“No, it’s not for the _party_ , what the hell. It’s because we love each other and we want to show the world that we love each other and marriage is a _great way to do that._ We thought you’d all be happy! Why is no one happy?”

“We are happy for you, Stiles,” Lydia reassures him, glaring across at Scott. He winces. Oh yeah, he’s in trouble.

“Of course we are,” he hurries to agree. “We just thought... I mean, don’t you think this is a little fast? You’re skipping the whole dating phase!”

Now Derek and Stiles look just as confused as everyone else.

“How...” Derek trails off, looking a mix of baffled and insulted. “How have we missed the dating phase? Ok, maybe we haven’t been dating for as long as some people do before they get married, but we love each other. We know what we want, and what we want is forever with each other. We want to be husbands, not just boyfriends.”

“How can you possibly know that after, what, a few weeks? How long ago did you even get your heads out of your asses?” Jackson has a point, even if Scott would have tried to say it more politely.

“We’ve been rooting for you, obviously,” Alison takes over. Scott can always count on her to balance out Jackson’s...everything. Bless Allison Argent and all she stands for. “And we _are_ happy you two seem to have finally realised how great you’ll be together. It just, it does seem like putting the cart before the horse, a little.”

Some kind of understanding has been blossoming across Derek and Stiles’ faces.

“Guys,” Stiles says slowly. “I’m getting the feeling we’re on completely different wavelengths here. I’m hearing a lot of words that sound like you all think we got together recently, which makes no sense because we’ve been together since I was _18_.”

There’s silence in the loft. Scott’s pretty sure most of them are actually holding their breath. No one says anything and Scott thinks he finally understands how silence can be deafening.

“What?” Erica finally breaks the silence. “No you haven’t! You’ve been pining away at each other like oblivious lovesick idiots since you were 18! That’s not dating!” The rest of the pack are nodding along with her. 

“Oh!” Allison looks like she’s solved a riddle. It’s adorable. “Are you counting it from when you both realised you liked the other? A kind of _we didn’t notice at the time but we’ve been dating for years_ kind of thing? That’s so romantic!”

“No.” Derek looks like he’s had enough, one hand still holding on to Stiles’, the other pinching the bridge of this nose. There’s a silver ring on his left hand, Scott wonders how he’s missed it before. 

“We’re counting,” Derek continues, “from the day that Stiles turned up here with a party hat on his head, said ‘I’m legal now, your excuse is invalid’ and we _actually started dating_.”

“Did you all seriously not notice?” Stiles has a look of disbelief on his face that Scott is pretty sure matched his own. “We go out together all the time! He visited me at college more than the rest of you put together! I moved in with him! What part of that sounds like two people who are just friends?”

“You moved in here?” Lydia asks, beating Scott to it.

“More than a year ago!” Stiles pulls at his hair, looking frantically around the room.

“But...” Boyd contributes, looking just as lost as everyone else. “You live with your dad.”

“No, I live here. I go home a lot to check on my dad but I always sleep here! My stuff is here!”

“We thought it had all just migrated over because you’re here so much. We didn’t think you’d even noticed,” Isaac mumbles.

“Does your dad know?”

“Does my dad know that I no longer live with him? Really, Scott? Of course my dad knows! He helped me move.” He shakes his head before pointing at Erica. “You must have known! You sent us on a million dates!”

“I didn’t think you’d noticed they were dates though!” Erica replies. “You never acted any different on them or after them or, you know, _at all_.”

“Well that’s probably because we were _already a couple_ , Reyes.”

“Well, I know that now! At the time it just...I don’t know, ok. Looking back it’s pretty fucking obvious you were together. How did we not see this?” She seems genuinely upset by her own obliviousness. Scott knows the feeling. He’d be willing to bet a large sum of money that the rest of the pack does too.

There’s a somewhat tense silence and then Stiles is laughing so hard he’s only still standing thanks to Derek holding him up. It takes him more than a few minutes to compose himself, Derek looking on fondly all the while.

“I can’t believe you losers never noticed.” Stiles wipes away tears from his face. “And you call yourselves werewolves. What happened to those keen super senses, huh?”

“Hey, it’s not our fault you’ve smelt like each other for years,” Scott says indignantly.

Stiles just starts laughing again, ending up on the floor this time when Derek wanders away, sighing about what he’s got himself in to.

Scott moves to sit beside him on the floor, quietly says “You know we really are all happy for you guys, right? It was just a bit of a shock.”

“Yeah,” Stiles replies, smiling at the rest of the pack, who the news seems to have finally hit properly, if their demands for alcohol and celebratory partying is anything to go by. “Yeah, we know.”

Later, Scott will think about how natural it sounded for Stiles to be talking in terms of ‘we’, like it’s a foregone conclusion for Stiles that Derek’s somehow involved. He’ll think about how long Stiles has been saying ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, and shakes his head at himself for how truly oblivious they’d all been to not be able to see this blatant love for what it was.

For now though, he’s too busy flinging himself at Stiles and hugging him silly.

His best friend’s getting _married_ , it’s time to celebrate.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end, thank you for reading! I wasn’t sure I’d ever find the courage to actually post any of my writing but everyone on this site is so lovely, I’m glad I took a chance. ♥


End file.
